DAVID P. LINSKY
Massachusetts State Representative
5th Middlesex House District
Natick - Wayland
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
Over Representative Linsky’s 27 years on Beacon Hill, he has tirelessly fought to make the Commonwealth a safer state through gun violence prevention legislation.
Gun violence continues to be a major public safety problem in the country. No other country in the world has the rate of gun violence that we have in the United States. While Massachusetts continues to be a leader among states in limiting this, there is more we can do.
Representative Linsky is immensely proud of what we have accomplished thus far in Massachusetts, most notably the passage of the landmark gun safety bill, An Act modernizing firearms laws (H.4885). Several bills filed in the previous legislative session by Representative Linsky as part of a comprehensive gun safety package were included in this legislation; you can read more about the specific package provisions that were included as part of this historic bill below.
Pictured: Representative David Linsky with former United States Representative Gabby Giffords at a State House event marking the beginning of Gun Violence Awareness Month.
3D-printed weapons and "ghost guns"
3D-printed guns and “ghost guns” are untraceable firearms without serial numbers that pose a significant public safety and public health threat to our Commonwealth and our nation. This section prohibits the manufacture, possession, transfer, or sale of untraceable firearms and requires privately made firearms and their parts to obtain a serial number from DCJIS. It also regulates the use of 3D printing technology to produce firearms and establishes penalties for manufacturing or possessing unserialized firearms. This section is based on Rep. Linsky’s sponsored legislation, An Act relative to 3D printed guns and ghost guns (H.2360).
License to carry age requirements
Raises the age from 18 to 21 to obtain a license to carry (LTC), which is required to possess or purchase any large-capacity firearms or a handgun. This restricts 18- to 20-year-olds from buying or carrying any of these types of firearms. This provision comes from Rep. Linsky’s proposed bill, An Act to raise the age for possession of a firearm (H.2369).
Sensitive space ban
Bans carrying firearms in schools, polling places, and government buildings, as well as in private residences, unless the property owners give consent to carry. Furthermore, it allows businesses to restrict the presence of firearms on their properties if they would like. This section of the bill originates from Rep. Linsky’s proposed legislation, An Act to prohibit carrying firearms in sensitive places (H.2359).
Updates to the assault weapon definition and ban
Closed loopholes in Massachusetts’ assault weapons laws by updating the state’s assault weapon definition to incorporate weapons left out of the 2004 statewide ban and banning devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into more rapid-firing weapons. Additionally, it updates the list of assault-style characteristics to reflect attributes that make firearms more lethal and incorporates the Attorney General’s guidance on look-alike assault weapons into law. These updates are based on Rep. Linsky’s sponsored bill, An Act updating the Massachusetts assault weapons ban (H.2358).
Closing the large capacity magazine loophole
The law effectively ends a longstanding loophole in the state’s large capacity magazine ban, which bans all large capacity magazines except those lawfully possessed on or before September 13, 1994. It tightens restrictions on these legally possessed large-capacity magazines, limiting where they may be possessed and how they may be transferred. This provision is based on Rep. Linsky’s proposed legislation, An Act to close the large capacity magazine loophole (H.2363).
Next Steps
While the passage and implementation of An Act modernizing firearms laws marked a critical step towards achieving Rep. Linsky’s goal of eliminating all instances of gun violence from the Commonwealth, there is still a great deal of work to be done in the pursuit of achieving that aim.
As such, the Representative has filed additional legislation in the 194th legislative session, bills designed to move us further towards that goal. These bills would require liability insurance for gun ownership, increase the penalties for the illegal sale and possession of firearms, and allow for civil actions by victims of gun violence; you can read further details on the exact provisions of these pieces of legislation below.
An Act to require liability insurance for gun ownership (H.1836)
This legislation would require liability insurance for the ownership of a firearm, rifle, or shotgun. By getting the private sector and insurance companies involved in gun safety, several gun tragedies could be prevented every year by encouraging more responsible behavior and therefore reducing accidental shootings.
An Act increasing penalties for the illegal sale and possession of firearms (H.1837)
This legislation would increase the penalties for the illegal sale and possession of firearms in Section 10 of Chapter 269 and Section 129 of Chapter 140.
An Act relative to firearm industry accountability and gun violence victims' access to justice (S.1653)
This legislation would hold firearm manufacturers, distributors, and dealers accountable for failing to take reasonable steps to prevent illegal gun trafficking and misuse by allowing victims of gun violence and the Attorney General to pursue civil action against these people and groups.